Composite products can be made from plies of pre-impregnated (pre-preg) material. Pre-preg material includes fibers surrounded by a matrix material, such as a thermosetting or thermoplastic resin or a ceramic matrix. Consolidation of individual ply layers together to form a composite laminate in a buildup is often critical to the quality of the finished composite product. Lack of compaction within the laminate during lamination, before it sees additional consolidation, such as a cure process, press, or other means, can result in wrinkling of the fibers in the laminate, reducing mechanical performance and affecting dimensional characteristics of the finished product. During consolidation it is common to apply heat to the plies of pre-preg material to heat up the matrix material to make the plies more compliant during consolidation. Typical methods of heating and consolidating composites including using hot gas to flood an area in front of a compaction member, using infrared heat to warm the material in front of a compaction member, and using a laser beam to heat material before it is rolled and compacted. Each of these methods requires space allocation for its heating source and space allocation for its compaction member. Many of these systems are energy and time intensive, or have inherent safety issues when an operator is in close proximity.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below that will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a safe, effective and efficient system to consolidate plies of pre-preg material.